Best of

the Twin Cities

Best Single

'Kismet Kill' by Haley

The artist formerly known as Haley Bonar is one of the best songwriters and musicians in Minnesota. Her creative output has only gotten better over the years, and with 2016’s Impossible Dream, the recently mononym’ed Haley crafted her most assured, refined album to date. The churning, guitar-fueled “Kismet Kill” is a clear standout, a song that dismisses the negligent naiveté of youth while simultaneously paying affectionate tribute to those carefree days. “I was impossible when I was beautiful / And now cartoon death just don’t seem so funny,” Haley sings wistfully during the soaring chorus, lamenting the mistakes we make when we’re young, but noting how those lapses in judgment look better under the auspices of adolescence. The brilliant song ultimately suggests that our fate is never truly sealed — as long as we’re willing to grow.